Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-04-22
Fires in Virginia Towns.
ONANCOCK IN FLAMES - FIFTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF
PROPERTY DESTROYED.
[Renorted for Baltimore Sun. lal

The business portion of the town
Of OnancOck, AccOmac county, Va,
was destroyed by fire Tuesday
night. Twenty.three buildings were
burned, causing a loss of fully S5O,-
600, with an insurance of about
$4,000. Onancock is one Of the
most flourishing towns on the East
ern Shore of Virginia, and has eX-
tensive business relations with Bal
timore. A special dispatch to The
Sun from Onancock gives the fol-
loving account of the fire:
"Fire broke out Tuesday night
between 10 and II o'clock in the
store of VIM. II. Hallett, on Main
street, and soon DESTROYED the prin-
cipal business portion of Onancock.
When first discovered the flames
were bursting out the upper story
of Halletts store. Most of the cit
izens had retired for the night, and
1t was fully half an hour before a
crowd assembled. The town is en-
tirely destitute Of fire apparatus,
and it was impossible to check the
progress of the conhagratiOn. The
next building to catch fire was the
large double storehouse of Messrs.
Slocum & Ames. This was soon
reduced to ashes, and the flames
swept on up the street, destroying
the store of John II. Riley, the jew
elry establishment of John W. Dun
can and the stores Of Kellam,
Broughton & Son. The post.oflice
was in the last.named building
All the mail matter and govern
ment property was saved. Here
the progress of the fire in that di-
rectiOn was checked by the efforts
of the citizens, who climbed
upon ladders to the hOuse-tOps
and poured water upon the
roofs and sides Of the adjoining
buildings, and thus succeeded in
saving Powells & NAPLES store
w. r. Wise's drug store, the Bap
tist Church, and a large number o.
dwelling houses on North street
In the meantime the flames haC
communicated to the opposite side
of the street to the stores Of WALES
Lewis, w. G. West and Israel Cor
don, while the stables Of the Grand
Central Hotel, owned by Col. Ber
T. Parker, were in a bright blaze
All these were soon consumed, ant
the Grand Central House was mex
to 90. From these the flames
spread down the street toward th'
steamboat wharf to Tully w. Park
ker's store, ID. j. Titlow's stationery
and book store, and the dwelling
house of Henry ID. Carmlne, all o
which we're destroyed. All TIM
time the people had been battling
with the fire, carrying water II
buckets from the wells and TN
adjacent creek, while others wer
removing goods, furniture and val
uables from the burning and en-
dangered houses. At one time !
seemed that the whole town wa
doomed, but shortly after , o'clocl
in the morning the progress OF tn
flames was stopped, but not til
twenty.three houses and Il consider
able number OF smaller building
had been destroyed, and fully fift,
thousand dollars worth ofprOpert,
swept away.
The losses are estimated as fol
lows: w. X. Hallett, stOrehOus
aud stock of goods, $4,000, insuT
ance $4,000; SlocOmb & Ames
double stOrehOuse and stock, Sl7
500, insurance $500; John II
Riley, store and stock destroye'
and damaged $4,000, fully insured
John w. Duncan, jewelry store AM
stock, 81 900, no insurance keI
lam, Broughton & Son, store ant
stock, 81, 200, no insurance W. j
Lewis, store and stock, $4,000, n
insurance; Y. A. NOrham, wv
stores and shoe shop, $1,000, II
insurance; w. G. West, stock G
groceries, $500, no insurance
Isreal Gordon, stock of genera
merchandise, $1,000, no insurance
Ben. II. Parker, hotel, stables, bal
Der shop, the shop furniture, etc
$1,000, insurance $1,000; |. W
Bragwell, store and unoccupie'
dwelling, 200, no insurance
Winder & Mapp, stock of groceries
| $500, no insurance ; Frank JOne
& Co., tailors, 5000, no insurance
Tully w. Parker, unoccupled store
house 81, 300, no insurance; Henr
| ID. Carmine, dwelling, furniture an
store, 81, 800, insurance 81, 900; i
| j. Titlow, stock of books and sta
tlOnery, damage by removal, SoOu
no insurance; Powell g. Waplei
goods damaged by water, $500, IN
sured; w. II. Wise, stock of drug
damaged by removal, $3.50, insul
ed; p. A. Leatherberry, damage {
building, furniture and goods, S3O'
insured; VIM. and John T. Scot
shoemakers, 81 900, no insuranc
In addition to this, many pc
sons had their furniture broken
moving to places of safety an
many valuables stolen by thieves
who are said to have carried o
large quantities of goods while IL
| ire was raging, all of which, 1t
thoupbt. will swell the total loss